Some time ago, I complained about the Avalanche Effect, where small, minor decisions I’ve made in Clix game snowball into massive setbacks and/or game loss. At the time I said it was preferable to the usual straight-up mental pratfalls I’ve documented in this blog over the years.

Unfortunately, I’ve started making THOSE again, too.

FAIL No. 1: Here’s a +2 AV Handicap You Don’t Really Need

So I was faced with Bill’s swarm of Kuribohs in a Golden Age event. These adorable little death bombs are deadliest in close combat, where their Blades/Claws/Fangs can do the worst damage. So what do I forget to use with Swift once she’s surrounded?

BARREL ROLL OR WINGOVER?: Give Swift a free action and choose Combat Reflexes or Energy Shield/Deflection. She can use the chosen power until she chooses again.

You got it. Both she and her passenger Midnighter went down in one turn because I couldn’t be bothered to remember to use her stupid SP. Granted, there was almost no chance I survive this game, but I didn’t have to make it so blamed EASY.

FAIL No. 2: Just Let the Other Team Completely Cheat

My full roster Authority team got completely steam-ironed in the first round by a Yugioh-based team using the friendly-mind-control piece Black Talon to destroy me without having to do a single attack roll against me. (I don’t want to talk about it. Suffice to say that it involved a way of getting two WATX Magnetos into my starting area by turn 2)

….

HUMANITY’S MY TRIBE TO PROTECT: Characters can’t use Mind Control as a free action or to target characters friendly to themselves. Characters using Mind Control are dealt 1 unavoidable damage after actions resolve.

….yeah. I flipped out after the tournament was over and I saw that I’d allowed a totally illegal action wreck my whole tournament. Neither of us had noticed.

(We replayed the match, leading to Fail No. 1)

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That’s all I have stomach for today. But there’s more FAIL in our future. SO MUCH FAIL